Yekaterina Fyodorovna Savinova

Yekaterina Fyodorovna Savinova – a Soviet film actress, Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1965). She was born on December 26, 1926, in the village of Yeltsovka in the Siberian Krai (now Altai Krai). She was the third child in a peasant family. During her school years she took part in amateur performances, and attended drama and choir clubs. She received awards at children's amateur competitions.

In 1944 she entered VGIK, but was expelled from her first year. In 1945 she was able to enroll again and successfully graduated from the institute in 1950. In 1961 she graduated from the vocal department of the Gnesin State Musical-Pedagogical Institute. Savinova's film debut took place in 1948 – she played an episodic role in the film 'Pages of Life'. However, real fame came to the actress after her role in the film 'The Kuban Cossacks' (1949).

The role of Frosya Burlakova in the film 'Come Tomorrow' (1963) became the pinnacle of Savinova's career, bringing her nationwide love and recognition and was named the best female role of the year. During the filming of 'Come Tomorrow' Yekaterina began to experience serious health problems. It was later discovered that before filming the actress had contracted brucellosis from raw (unpasteurized) milk. Due to lack of timely treatment the disease caused complications, which led to the development of a condition in the actress similar to manifestations of schizophrenia. In 1970 Savinova left Moscow for her sister's in Novosibirsk. Knowing her illness was incurable, on April 25, 1970 she threw herself under a train at the Novosibirsk junction station.